Fall 2024: September 9 – December 27
Subject: PSY (Psychology)
Course Level: 100
Number of Credits: 4 U.S. / 8 ECTS
Max Enrollment: 22
Schedule: Tue Thurs 16:10 – 17:30 CET (Berlin) |10:10 – 11:30 EDT (New York)
Distributional Area: Meaning, Being, and Value
Language of Instruction: English
Course Prerequisites: English B2 / Equivalent or higher

Do you find conflicts fascinating? How often do you experience them? While we humans are usually efficient at avoiding things that we do not like, such as pain or eating disagreeable food, ditching conflicts is not humanity’s strongest skill. This course aims to analyze the cognitive nature of conflict and discuss various pathways to conflict resolution. First, we will study the process of communication and its contribution to conflict interaction. Then we will talk about communicating with others as an acquired skill, which is no different than baking a cake or riding a bike, trying to understand why, for example, people are more forgiving of a terrible cake than an offensive pronouncement. Other elements of the course will include conversations about conflict initiation, the most common causes that lead to confrontations, and the productive methods of managing and resolving adversity. The “microscope” of cognitive and social psychology will help us understand fundamental mechanisms underlying conflict behavior. Among research methods employed in this course, group work, analysis of case studies, and practical approaches to conflict resolution will predominate.

PPT Presentation about the course

Guidelines for the Statement of Purpose:
Craft a reflective statement of purpose explaining your interest in the Smolny Beyond Borders online course. The file should be saved with your name and course title as the filename and uploaded accordingly. Your statement’s clarity and substance will significantly influence our selection. Convey your motivations and aspirations for this course succinctly but thoroughly. Kindly write your statement in the course’s Language of Instruction.

Application Portal Instructions:
1) Use the Latin alphabet for all entries on the portal, including your name. If the Language of Instruction is Russian, you may use Cyrillic only within the Statement of Purpose file, and the title of the file should still be in English.
2) Refrain from using email addresses associated with Russian or Belarusian educational institutions.
3) While completing the “Required Information” section, ensure you fill in the “Province” field for your address.
4) Provide an address outside Russia or Belarus in both the “Required Information” and “Geographic Location Confirmation” sections of the “Online Course Application”. This ensures we can send your transcript.
5) You must press the “Sign” button twice during the application.
6) If you hold a bachelor’s degree, select “4th+” in the “Academic Year (online)” section.
7) Applicants either unaffiliated or affiliated with educational institutions in Russia and Belarus should list ‘Smolny Beyond Borders’ as their educational institution.
8) In the student ID section, enter ‘SBB’.
9) Consider drafting your motivation letter ahead of time. Save it as a separate file with this format: LastName_FirstName_CourseTitle for a smoother application process.